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Chickahominy!, 2018

We’ve driven by on the way east many times, the sign always beckoning, but the time not allowing a visit.  This past weekend it was finally the destination.

 

 

Chickahominy is a reservoir in the high desert of eastern Oregon.  Several hundred acres of water seem a bit out of place in the sagebrush ocean of Harney County.  Along with the reservoir is a campground with well over 30 sites, a nice boat ramp and lots of fishing opportunities with views for miles.  Saturday was going to be the nicest day in a week and it was time to start getting out and about.  After a short drive we had a campsite with a lake view and were quickly trolling.  Before long we started getting some takers and it didn’t take too much to figure out where the biters were.

 

Trolling Chickahominy

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Hager Mountain Lookout, 2018

It’s been quiet around this site for a while but not because there has been nothing going on.  Since the last post there’s been a trip to the north Oregon coast,

 

Wreck of the Peter Iredale

 

a ski trip to north central Washington to glide through the trees,

 

Skiing the Methow

 

and even a stop at Gettysburg.

 

High Water Mark, Gettysburg

 

But now that spring is coming back around its time to get back outside in earnest.

Hager Mountain Lookout is a popular spot.  I’ve been wanting to spend a few nights in a lookout for many years, but reserving far enough in advance before all the days are booked is always a challenge.  6 months and two weeks back we got lucky and there was an opening.  We grabbed it.  In February I was thinking there would be no snow and spring time conditions.  Then March came and with it, finally, winter.  The week prior to heading out snow was in the forecast again.  But by the time we were headed to the trailhead the storm had passed, dumping a bit of snow along the way, leaving us with a nice blue sky day to head to the top of the mountain.

 

Hager Mountain. We are going there?

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Exploring Southern Utah, 2017

November brings some colder and wetter days to central Oregon.  It was time to head south, for a week, southern Utah was the destination.  It’s a bit of a drive to get there so the first day was all windshield time.  We ended the day just as dark settled in at Cathedral Gorge State Park in Nevada.  It seemed like a nice spot but it wasn’t until morning that we were able to get oriented.  The sun was just up as we headed out but we stopped to take a look around before hitting the road.  It looked like an interesting place surrounded by highly eroded hills.

Cathedral Gorge

A sign indicated that this picnic ramada was built by the CCC’s in 1934.  1934!  They have apparently done a bit of maintenance on the willow thatch roof every so often, but what a testament to the value of the work done in those days.

Picnic Ramada

After that it was on to our first destination, Zion National Park.  Arriving on a Saturday we found the typical crowds encountered in most national parks these days.  We were still able to find a place to camp that allowed a place to base a days worth of exploration out of.

Kolob Canyon, Zion National Park

The view from camp was entirely acceptable.

Zion Camp View

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